McGraw-Hill Education has unveiled a new suite of adaptive learning products for higher education at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week in Las Vegas. The LearnSmart Advantage suite includes the company's existing adaptive study tool, LearnSmart, as well as four new products, including an adaptive e-book, course preparation resource, virtual science lab, and adaptive learning system.

According to McGraw-Hill Education, "adaptive learning is a method of education that seeks to personalize learning by using sophisticated algorithmic technology to continually assess students' knowledge, skill, and confidence levels, and design targeted study paths based on the resulting data to bolster students' understanding in the areas where they need to improve the most."

Products in the LearnSmart Advantage suite include:

LearnSmart, the company's existing adaptive study tool, which customizes students' learning path based on the accuracy of their answers and directs them to material intended to help them master concepts;

SmartBook, an adaptive e-book designed to assess students' knowledge and skills as they read and highlight content they have yet to master to provide a nonlinear, customized reading experience;

LearnSmart Prep, a course preparation adaptive resource intended to boost students' knowledge and skills before or during the early weeks of complex courses, such as anatomy and physiology, organic chemistry, or majors biology;

LearnSmart Labs, a virtual lab tool that enables students to practice science experiments in a "photo-realistic" virtual lab setting; and

LearnSmart Achieve, an adaptive learning system designed to identify students' areas of weakness and provide them with supplementary content, such as videos, interactive activities, and additional readings, and also provide a time management feature intended to guide students through content and resources at an appropriate pace.

McGraw-Hill Education plans to make LearnSmart Advantage products available to educational institutions and for direct purchase by students starting at $19.99. LearnSmart, LearnSmart Prep, and LearnSmart Labs are currently available. SmartBook and a beta version of LearnSmart Achieve will be available in the spring.

Further information about McGraw-Hill's existing adaptive study tool, LearnSmart, is available at the company's Web site.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at leilameyer@gmail.com.